A serious traffic accident occurred in the afternoon of Sunday 29 January 2023 in the commune of Dassa-Zoumè, department of Collines. As a result, more than twenty people on board a public transport bus were burned. There were also several injured people who were automatically transported to the hospitals closest to the scene.
The sky darkened on Sunday over Benin. A traffic accident killed at least 20 people, all of whom were consumed by fire while on board of a public transport bus. There were also several other serious injuries. The incident occurred in Dassa-Zoumè.
According to witnesses on the spot, the accident occurred in front of the SOS Children’s Village in Dassa at around 4pm. The tragedy involved a bus of the Baobab Express company leaving for Cotonou and a truck leaving the economic capital. The collision between the two vehicles resulted in a huge fire that killed about 20 people.
As for the injured, they were rushed to hospital thanks to the dynamism of the motorbike taxi drivers.
For the time being, the circumstances of the tragedy are not yet known. But according to the latest information, the government reacted to the sad news.
Government saddened by tragedy
In a note, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, the government spokesman, expressed his sympathy and condolences to the Beninese and the families of the victims. He reassured that as soon as he was informed, the Head of State, President Patrice Talon, rushed the ministers in charge of transport and security to the scene.
“There will be a follow-up so that this does not happen again. At the same time, the Head of State promised that the loss of these many lives will not be in vain, said Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji.